Concord Young Women in Business kicked off a seminar focusing on goat rearing and information and communication technology for young women and school-going girls in the Khomasdal Constituency.
The seminar in Windhoek, which aims to empower participants with essential skills for personal and professional growth, is part of a broader initiative to support women's advancement through practical skill development.
The seminar's goal is to equip aspiring female goat farmers with the knowledge and skills needed for successful goat rearing, integrating best practices and ICT applications.
The founder and president of the Concord Young Women in Business, Apphia Musavengana, says that by providing a skill set applicable to young women in their chosen fields, the training aims to combat idleness and promote active engagement in meaningful economic activities.
Additionally, the platform will teach participants to use ICT tools for effective communication and advocacy.
"Concort for Young Women Business Global has adopted a strategy for delivering the pillar of women's economic empowerment, building the knowledge base and skills development for women's economic empowerment in the fields of ICT and smart climate agriculture. These economic empowerment programmes are prerequisite initiatives for sustainable development, as well as to eliminate gender inequalities and marginalisation of women and girls across the Southern African region."
Musavengana says the participants will benefit from a rich exchange of ideas and resources while raising a supportive network among attendees.
The focus on practical training ensures that top-performing students are rewarded with opportunities to further their knowledge.
ICT Minister Emma Theofelus, who officiated the launch of the seminar, has applauded the company.
Theofelus applauded the initiative, saying the seminar is in line with the country's vision and that of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR).
She highlighted the need for citizens to embrace and be exposed to technology.
"When we talk about the 4th Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, it began at the start of the 3rd millennium with the advent of a technology everyone uses today: the Internet. We can observe significant transitions from then to now. However, a substantial digital gap remains between women and girls and boys and men in terms of Internet usage. In Namibia, statistics show that out of every 10 people, 6 men can use the Internet, compared to only 4 women. This imbalance indicates a lack of digital equality, necessitating efforts to ensure balanced access. These trainings are designed to complement the basic training offered by international governments. Moreover, these programmes and projects are being implemented globally, and it is essential for us in Ocho Rios to also benefit from them."
In a move to enable the participants to start their businesses, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology has pledged three mobile devices to three participants during the seminar, while the Young Women in Business will provide one laptop to the top performer.